Recent Posts

Where Is The Mold Growing In Your Henderson County Home?

Every home has areas that have the potential for mold growth, so it is important to know where to look and what to look for. Mold growth depends on certain conditions for growth such as moisture, poor ventilation and temperature.

To help you have a better idea as to the ares in your home that may be susceptible to mold growth, here's a list of places you'll want to keep an eye on.

Behind washing equipment

Under sinks

Behind toilets

Around tubs and showers

Under and behind refrigeration units

Under dishwashers

In crawl spaces

Around basement perimeters

Above ceiling tiles

Behind and below water heaters

Around doors and windows

Inside access panels to whirlpool tubs

Around the outside hose bib

Now that you know where to look, you'll need to know what to look for.

Look for any discolorations on walls, floors and carpets

Do you see visible signs of mold growth, the colors can vary from black, red, orange, yellow, blue, purple and whites

Is there a musty odor?

If you come across mold in your home, keep in mind that the mold spores are easily dispersed if incorrectly disturbed and most household cleaners won't sufficiently take care of the problem. That's why you'll want to call in the pros like SERVPRO of Henderson County, we are here to help! 828-692-3337

How Long Do You Have To Get Out Of Your Home Before A Fire Becomes Life Threading?

Astonishingly home fires can grow and move at a rapid rate, you literally only have minutes to get out and evacuate. In just two minutes, a fire can become life-threatening and a residence can be engulfed in flames in five minutes... Now that's some scary stuff! It's vitally important to move and think fast when your home is on fire, which can be difficult when the fire produces gases that make you disoriented and drowsy. Smoke and toxic gasses kill more people than flames, with a three-to-one ratio, asphyxiation is the leading cause of fire deaths.

To help protect you and your family, planning ahead and practicing fire safety could literally save lives. To learn more about what you can do to help prepare in case of a home fire, visit www.ready.gov/home-fires

If a fire occurs in your home, the first priority is for you and your family to get out and call for help.

If you need assistance with fire or smoke damage in your home, call SERVPRO of Henderson County today at 828-692-3337

Biohazard Cleanup For Your Henderson County Home Or Business

Biohazard cleanup can be dangerous, let the professionals at SERVPRO of Henderson County take care of the cleanup.

SERVPRO of Henderson County can provide cleanup and recovery services for many biohazardous situations, some of which are chemical spills, sewage backups, crime scenes, suicide/death accidents, hoarding, blood cleanup and animal waste/remains. The biohazard decontamination process whether it's in your home or business can be both emotional and dangerous. That's why it's important to call in professionals like us, as exposure to biological and chemical contaminants can pose some serious health consequences. Our highly trained technicians can safely clean, remove and dispose of biohazardous substances properly in accordance to OSHA and health regulations.

As you can probably imagine, biohazard emergencies don't always happen during a typical work weeks schedule, that's why it's important to be able to reach a company that can help, no matter what time or day that it is.

SERVPRO of Henderson County is here to help you 24 hours a day, 365 days a year! 828-692-3337

Noisy Pipes? What Do Those Noises Mean?

Broken pipe in your home? SERVPRO of Henderson County is here to help.

Do you ever hear whistling, clanging, rattling or banging noises coming from the pipes in your home? Yes, these noises can be quite startling, they can also be a sign that there may be a problem with your plumbing.

Whistling noises can be caused by blocked pipes. Blockages that are more minor can occur at valves, faucets and shower heads. Pipe maintenance, tightening valves and cleaning shower heads can often fix these. Clogged pipes, however, can be more serious because the extra pressure is hard on plumbing and can lead to a pipe breaking. Professional plumbers are the best solution to fix the blockages in your pipes.

The banging noises often comes from high water pressure. If the water is off and the banging persists, it's likely caused by high water pressure. Similar noises could also be a result of trapped air, which can be resolved by draining pipes to get rid of air pockets. On the other hand, water pressure can result in leaking due to loose pipe connections. If damage from high water pressure goes unaddressed, it can make a pipe burst.

Water speed changes are likely the cause if there is a clanging noise whenever a faucet or shower is shut off. The clanging comes from the pipe vibrating at the change of the waters speed. The change in its momentum can be normal but on rare occasions it can cause pipe connections to loosen or leak. Anti-hammer devices can help with this problem.

By paying attention to what your plumbing is telling you and by doing regular maintenance, you can help to reduce the chances of calling in the professionals to fix a broken pipe later down the line.

Should you experience the inconvenience of a broken pipe in your home and need help with the cleanup and restoration, SERVPRO of Henderson County is one phone call away 828-692-3337

Mold Myths - Discerning Myth from Facts

Mold can be a very serious problem and should be taken seriously. There are a lot of misconceptions and misinformation that can lead to confusion, making it rather difficult for home owners to know how best to proceed with its removal. It's important to have all the facts straight to be able to discern myth from fact.

"No need to worry... It's only a little bit of mold, I can handle this on my own"

Seeing just a little mold does seem harmless, but chances are, if the mold has become visible, it may have been growing for quite some time. Sure, small areas of mold can sometimes be handled rather easily, but once mold has become visible there's more than likely mold growing behind the surface and having a professional look at it is probably a good idea. When in doubt, its better to be safe than sorry, as mold can often be pervasive.

"Bleach kills mold, so you don't have to remove it if you kill it"

While bleach may kill some types of mold on non-porous surfaces, it's still unclear whether or not it can kill all types of mold or kill mold on porous surfaces like wood. Even if you are able to kill mold on your own, did you remove the allergens that live it it? They can still be present even if the mold is killed. To protect yourself fully, its often necessary to remove the affected areas and in doing so, you really have to be careful not to spread the mold spores throughout your house during that extraction. If the mold spores spread, they can further contaminate your home. Professionals, like us, know how to set up proper containment to prevent to the spores from spreading.

If you see mold in your home, call us today! Our SERVPRO of Henderson County team can help you with a proper course of action. 828-692-3337

Thunderstorm Safety Tips To Help Protect You And Your Henderson County Home

Protect your family and Henderson County home by making sure you're prepared for the next thunderstorm that comes our way.

While there really isn't much you can do to prevent the severe thunderstorms that rock our world here in Henderson County, you can minimize the damages to your home and property. By taking a few precautionary measures, you can help to protect your family and home.

To prepare for the inevitable thunderstorms that we get here in the mountains, we recommend these safety tips:

Put together an emergency kit and family plan (see details on how to do this in our other blog)

Secure outdoor objects that could blow away or damage your home or property

Remove dead or rotten trees

Remove branches and debris

Stay inside your home during the storm

Close all exterior windows and doors

Unplug electronic equipment before the storm (power surges from lighting can cause serious damage to computers and televisions)

Avoid taking a shower or bath during a storm (plumbing and bathroom fixtures can conduct electricity)

Listen to a battery-operated radio for the latest storm updates

If your home is damaged by a storm, please contact SERVPRO of Henderson County at 828-692-3337. Our highly trained professionals use specialized equipment and advanced training to quickly restore your home to pre-storm condition.

When Disaster Strikes - Do You Have An Emergency Family Plan Henderson County Residents?

When disaster strikes, it can be difficult to think clearly in the midst of the chaos as you do your best to protect our number one priority... family. While you may not be able to predict and plan for every possible scenario, you can help to protect your family by planning ahead and creating an Emergency Family Plan.

Making Your Emergency Family Plan

You can being your Emergency Family Plan by asking your family members to participate. After everyone has gathered, discuss the importance of being safe and prepared should disaster strike. Discuss the possibilities... What are the common natural disasters in your area, what are the unlikely but still possible disasters, what are the possible disasters that aren't caused by nature? With everyone brainstorming this together, you should be able to come up with many scenarios.

With natural disasters like unpredictable storms or tornadoes, you'll most often take shelter in the safety of your home, but with emergencies like house fires, you'll need an immediate evacuation. Your Emergency Family Plan should help to prepare you for both.

Make a list of emergency contacts. Make sure to put that list in a place where its protected from the elements and in a place where your family has access to it. Designate an out-of-town contact as your family's centralized, emergency communications facilitator in case your family is not together when a disaster strikes. Add that person's number to your emergency contacts on each family member’s cell phone. Keep records of important medical, insurance, and identification information. Make sure your kids know how to call 911, and help them memorize important emergency phone numbers in case of evacuation or separation.

Choose your shelter and meeting place. Be sure to pick a place away from the windows and from the exposure to the outside. Generally, the safest options for shelter are basements and closets, as well as safe rooms that are specially designed. Wherever you choose, make sure its easily accessible and stocked with emergency supplies, ready to use at all times. Should you need to evacuate, identify at least two exits and make sure there's no obstacles getting in the way of there path. Designate a neighbor's front yard or another safe outdoor location nearby as the family meeting place.

Time to put together an emergency kit. It may be different depending on what type of disasters you are likely to encounter but this is a good starter list for your kit. When putting this together, plan to have enough supplies for you and family to survive for at least 3 days.

~ Large plastic tub or tubs, clearly marked - Emergency Kit.

~ Bottled water (one gallon per person, per day)

~ Non-perishable food

~ Flashlights and batteries

~ Blankets

~ First aid kit

~ Hygiene items

~ Whistle to signal help

~ Dust mask

~ Manual can opener

~ Wrench or pliers

~ Matches

~ Fire extinguisher

~ Copies of important documents

~ Cash

~ Backup power bank - Portable charger

~ Extra clothing

~ Garbage bags

~ Duct tape

~ Local maps

Review your Emergency Family Plan and safety procedures together regularly. Practice some hypothetical situations and see how long it takes everyone to reach there designated shelter or meeting place. You could practice home fire drills as well, practicing crawling on the ground to avoid smoke or blocking off certain areas of your house so that alternate escape routes are thought out. The more scenarios that are practiced, the better prepared you and your family will be, if or when a disaster strikes.

Henderson County Residents : Do You Know How Often You Should Clean Your Carpets?

Carpet and rug cleaning done right by SERVPRO of Henderson County Professionals.

Carpets and area rugs add style and warmth to your home, with all the different colors, patterns and textures. Keeping them clean is probably not a daily priority, but in order to keep them looking spic and span, that does require routine cleaning and maintenance. Carpets collect all kinds of particulates from daily use like dust, dirt and pet dander and who knows what else. Although you can minimize this by having a no-shoe rule, there will still be wear and tear that occurs. Regular vacuuming is the first and best defense to keeping carpets and rugs clean. So how often should you clean your carpets even if you’re vacuuming weekly and spot cleaning as needed? This brief breakdown will help guide you.

Light Soil - Vacuuming once a week should do the trick. For heavy use areas, its a good idea to call in a professional to clean like SERVPRO of Henderson County every 12 to 18 months. For the restorative cleaning, every 2 years or per manufacturer warranty.

Medium Soil - Vacuuming once or twice a week will work. The professional cleaning of high traffic areas, 6 to 12 months is advised. Restorative cleaning, annually.

Heavy Soil - Vacuuming 2 to 7 times a week, depending on how heavy the soil is. The high traffic areas could use the professional cleaning every 3 to 6 months. The restorative cleaning, 2 times a year is a good idea.

Feel free to reach out to SERVPRO of Henderson County should you have any questions regarding your homes carpet and area rug cleaning or maintenance. Our carpet cleaning professionals can answer your questions and will work to your specifications to get the job done right the first time.

Do you need to have your carpets cleaned? Schedule your professional cleaning today with SERVORO of Henderson County 828-692-3337

Do You Know Where Your Water Shutoff Valve Is Henderson County?

Do you know where your water shutoff valve is in case of an emergency?

When most people think of a home flooding, they imagine a terrible storm being the culprit of the massive amounts of water that spread through their house. While storms do cause flooding, there is often another culprit right there in your home and you use it everyday to cook, clean and shower... Yes you guessed it, your plumbing. Should your plumbing system ever spring a leak, it can very quickly fill your home with water and sometimes depending on where the leak sprung, it can effect multiple floors of your home. In this emergency situation it is essential that you know where your homes main water shutoff valve is and be prepared to use it.

Every home has a main water shutoff valve that was put in place during construction, this valve cuts off the supply of water from running through your pipes. You’ll need it for situations where the plumbing system springs a leak that you can’t stop, or if there is a leaking pipe and you can't find its location. By using the shutoff valve, you can prevent:

Water Damage : The longer a water leak persists, the more damage it will cause to the structure of your home. By knowing where the shutoff valve is, you can stop the leak quickly and keep your house safe and sturdy.

Mold Growth : Plumbing leaks provide the amount of moisture necessary for mold to infest your house. Shutting off the water supply until you can fix the leak prevents you from having to clean that pesty mold and deal with the resulting structural damage.

High Utility Bills : Major water leaks waste an enormous amount of water, sending your utility bills sky rocketing through the roof. By using the shutoff valve as soon as a big leak strikes, you can help prevent an increase in cost.

Water Damage In Your Home? We Are Here To Help 24/7 - Call SERVPRO of Henderson County at 828-692-3337